WOMEN OF ART, BUTTON BY BUTTON: ROBERT FUERER

Women of Art: Button by Button is a fusion of art, fashion, and memory expressed through a series of button paintings that reinterpret the most iconic females in art. Created in 2024, these works transform buttons into abstract mosaics of familiar figures, inviting viewers to engage actively with the art and complete the images in their minds. Each button carries its history, sourced from antique shops, family collections, and personal clothing. By repurposing these materials, I aim to blur the lines between art and craft, breathing new life into objects once integral to our daily lives. The result is a dynamic, tactile experience that shifts with the viewer’s perspective, making the familiar feel new again. The paintings in this exhibition are not just reproductions of famous images; they are abstractions that challenge the viewer to engage actively with the work. The layering of buttons, sometimes four or five layers deep, and the careful selection of colors, finishes, and textures, create a dynamic surface that shifts with the viewer’s perspective. Transparent buttons mimic the subtlety of light and shadow, while metallic finishes capture the brilliance of color, all contributing to a fresh interpretation of the original works. By choosing to work with images like the Mona Lisa or Venus, I’m tapping into the collective memory of the viewer. The abstract nature of the button mosaics requires the viewer to “complete” the image in their mind, making their engagement with the art more interactive and personal. This element of participation is central to the show—it is not just about seeing a familiar image; it’s about rediscovering it in a new and unexpected form. The journey of this technique began in 2008 when I created my first button painting titled “Mosaic Mona” using a box of my grandmother’s buttons found in my parents’ basement. That moment of discovery and creation has since evolved into a practice of finding perfect buttons, each one contributing to the narrative of these iconic works. Material Girls is a celebration of this journey, of the transformation of the mundane into the extraordinary, and of the enduring power of these icons to resonate with us in new ways. Women of Art: Button by Button is an exhibition that blurs the lines between art and craft, memory and innovation, the familiar and the abstract. Through these button paintings, I aim to create a dialogue between the viewer and the art, where each piece is not just seen but experienced, completed, and reimagined in the mind of the beholder. It is a testament to the power of materials, and to the enduring legacy of the icons that continue to inspire us.

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